


Stay

by FruHallbera



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Implied Violence, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 04:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15453429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FruHallbera/pseuds/FruHallbera
Summary: Tumblr prompt: "You could stay here. With me."Sometimes it takes a long time for two people to find one another.





	Stay

“You could stay here. With me.” 

Hux doesn’t know why he said it, the words are out before he has time to think it through. He turns his gaze back to his report, studiously ignoring the shadowy presence hovering by the door. He is told that the man (Hux presumes, he has not seen anything beyond the billowing robes and the mask) is vital to the Order’s success, that he has some special connection with the Supreme Leader. Hux is willing to believe that as soon as he is provided with evidence beyond vague rumours and poor attempts at intimidation with what is essentially a bathrobe and a bucket.

But Hux is nothing but observant and intelligent, so what he can see is someone who moves about as if he (yes, Hux is quite certain that the evidence adds up to a young human male) wasn’t quite at home in his body, trying to convey confidence and power but faltering when he thinks nobody is watching, but still, underneath the uncertainty, something. Something hidden and dangerous, coiling in the shadows and leaving those present wary and bracing for violence.

And now the mysterious protégé of Snoke’s is tilting his masked head at Hux in a silent question. They are on their way from a meeting with the Supreme Leader, a rarity as usually all business with their Leader is handled with indirectly via messages and holocalls. Hux is still riding the high of his new promotion, the responsibility and power of his new rank only settling on his shoulders. He has been given the command of a state-of-the-art battle cruiser and he feels he is right where he is supposed to be, even though the condition of his advancement was taking custody of Kylo Ren.

“What do you mean?” Ren’s vocoder doesn’t manage to entirely hide his bafflement.

“You look like you can’t make your mind up, loitering by the door. The crew travels there –“ Hux points towards the shuttle’s passenger bay, “and this space is reserved for the higher ranks. You are of course welcome to travel as you please, but since we have several hours ahead of us, I’d suggest getting comfortable.”

A huff and jerk of his head later, Ren settles gingerly on a seat furthest from Hux. He folds his hands on his lap and stills as if he’s fallen asleep. Hux studies him for a while, then turns his attention back on the report and the notes he’s making as he reads. There is so much to do.

***

“You could stay here. With me”

Ren pats the ground next to him. He is sitting cross-legged beneath a makeshift shelter, really nothing more than a tarp rigged between two trees. Hux paces the clearing in the forest they have set their camp in, his anxiety radiating in the air around him. He doesn’t seem to notice how the rain has plastered his hair to his head, and the rivulets of water running down his cheeks. Other officers are either huddled underneath the trees or under their own interpretations on the subject of shelter. They are all casting longing looks at the shuttle but since their General is out here, none of them can retreat to the safe, warm indoor space so tantalizingly close.

Hux is easily pushed into an almost frantic state of mind, Ren has noticed. He seems to do everything to the maximum, he works and focuses and plans with all that he possesses. What he does to unwind is still a mystery to Ren. 

“What did you say?”

“You could come sit here, out of the rain,” Ren repeats. “The troopers have the situation under control. They’ll be here soon with the prisoner.”

“Ren, if this mission fails – “ Hux resumes his pacing, burying his hands in his pockets. His lips are turning blue and he is shivering. Ren scowls in frustration at his inability to stop observing the General at every opportunity and averts his eyes. He picks up his lightsabre and begins to inspect it for damage. There isn’t any, but he needs the distraction. 

“It won’t fail,” he offers with absolute conviction. The troopers are on the way. He can already sense the prisoner’s fear via the Force, easing his bloodlust and the need to be in the heat of the battle. He is here to offer his protection to the General, however, and so forbidden to partake in the action. He will be interrogating the prisoner, which is a small compensation for being denied a proper fight. 

To Ren’s surprise Hux walks over and folds himself gracefully under the tarpaulin. He reaches over, seemingly without thought, and picks Ren’s lightsabre from his hands. Ren’s fingers close over the hilt for a second, but he relents and lets the General take it from him. Slender, slightly bluish fingers turn the weapon over, lifting it up for a close inspection. Ren imagines Hux igniting it, the shapes of shadows the red light would cast on his face, his expression condensed into the single-minded focus of a predator on the verge of the kill.

He remembers someone telling him that Hux is a trained sniper. Ren can well believe that.

Hux is still restless, though, keeps twitching and looking over his shoulder towards the edge of the forest. He relaxes only when the troopers break the cover of the trees and march to the clearing, their prize held tightly in the middle of them. Hux lets out the breath he was holding in, hands the sabre abruptly back to Ren and they both rise up to meet the returning soldiers.

Ren pushes his thoughts of the General to the side and focuses on the prisoner. What she knows they must know, as soon as possible, and he feels his hands tighten into fists in anticipation.

***

“You could stay here. With me.”

Ren doesn’t answer. He turns his head away and makes feeble movements until Hux gets the message and lets go of his hand. This section of the medbay is silent despite its current overflowing state, so many evacuees from the Starkiller were injured. Hux cannot tell how he has managed these past days. He does not remember eating or sleeping, although both must have occurred at some point. His days are filled with relentless flow of damage and casualty reports and worried financiers and battling the constantly falling morale. He can feel the mistrust in his command crew. He can feel the survivor’s guilt in all of them, and he does not know how to fix it. 

His days are filled with fear.

He is alone, again, stupidly having allowed himself to believe that he’d found his companion in Ren only to have the illusion snatched from him by the appearance of the Force-wielding girl from Jakku.

She’s all that Ren has been talking about ever since first meeting her, and ever since that day Hux has not been welcome in Ren’s bed, or in fact, in his life. Hux has been left to the sidelines, only being able to watch as Ren tailspins further into madness, destroying everything in his wake.

And yet. Here he is, begging like a fool, humiliating himself again and again, knowing with absolute certainty that this is over, that there is no going back to the days of heady passion and growing companionship.

And yet. He cares about Ren. He lov-

Hux draws in a deep breath, then rises and turns to leave.

“We’ll be dropping you off in a few standard days. The Supreme Leader is waiting for your arrival.”

***

“You could stay here. With me.”

Ren fidgets on his throne, long legs awkwardly crossed at the ankle and hands worrying the edge of his cape. He has been picking up an undercurrent of _giving up_ and _letting go_ from the General and suspects that Hux is planning his exit from the ranks of the First Order.

Not that Ren can blame him. After the first waves of possessive rage abated he managed to admit, albeit painfully, his own involvement in Hux’s decision. The second wave of rage had him taking out an entire supply room of trooper equipment, something he thought he had grown past already.

And now the General is standing in front of him, blinking in confusion as he had been in the middle of reporting their current operational status. “…excuse me?”

“You don’t have to go. We’ll – we’ll work it out. You and me.”

“Supreme Leader, I- “

Ren has never seen Hux so lost for words. His confusion is giving way to fear, and Ren can hear his thought as they were his own. Hux knows too much, has seen and done too much for him to be allowed to leave now that Ren knows of his plans. His mind is racing as he goes through different scenarios in an attempt to find a way to come out of this alive and at least somewhat unharmed. 

Ren runs his hand through his hair, _his_ mind racing with the alternating thoughts of _I don’t have a clue of how to handle this_ and _he can’t go he’s mine_.

In the end they just stare at each other, equally speechless. Hux opens his mouth to say something, but Ren beats him to it. He springs up from his throne, comes to stand in front of Hux. This tactic has proved to be ineffective in the past but it’s the only one he knows.

He extends his hand.

Hux takes it.


End file.
